UPSC Essentials: Weekly news express with MCQs— PM’s messages to Indo-Thai connections

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Why in news?

— As the southwest monsoon season completes three quarters of its four-month June-September duration, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand are seeing their worst rainy season in 122 years.

Key takeaways

—As farmers in the middle Gangetic basin continue to wait for a spell of good rain to begin sowing, district administrations are working on contingency plans for the fallout of a possible drought. These major rice-producing states could be hit by a serious scarcity of food and water, with potential to affect India’s kharif production for the year.

Reasons for rain deficit this monsoon

—This monsoon season has seen the development of only three low pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal, mostly off the coast of Odisha. None of these systems had an impact over Jharkhand, UP, or Bihar. “The low pressure systems did not move along Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh,” Pulak Guhathakurta, head of the Climate Research Division at IMD, Pune, said. These unfavourable conditions contributed to the high rainfall deficits throughout the season, he said.

—In addition, the east-west low pressure monsoon trough — the second major reason for rainfall — has remained to the south of its normal position for most days in July and August so far. The location of the monsoon trough, its oscillation and duration over a specific location, directly affect rainfall activity over regions to the south of the trough.

—Thus, when the monsoon trough is located to the south of its normal position, there is active or vigorous rainfall over most parts of central and peninsular India. And when it shifts to the north of its normal position, or lies along the Himalayan foothills, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and the Northeastern states benefit.

Efforts to save the season in the fields

—For UP, the IMD’s Agriculture Meteorology (Agrimet) Division has suggested that transplantation of rice should be carried out until August 15, and that short-duration varieties should be sown. Experts have also advised farmers to cultivate red gram. “We recommend that farmers should opt for inter-cropping, and take up short-duration rice varieties,” Kripan Ghosh, head of the division said.

—For farmers in Jharkhand, the division has suggested adopting measures to conserve moisture in the soil. No sowing is advised until there is 50 mm to 60 mm of rainfall and sufficient moisture for at least three consecutive days. Short-duration rice, millet, maize, and arhar should be considered for the rest of the season, it has said.

Point to ponder: Some areas in India face a rain deficit. What are the probable reasons and what efforts can be suggested to save the season in the fields?

1. MCQ:

Consider the following statements and answer the question below

1. Ministry of Agriculture is the nodal Ministry in respect of monitoring and managing drought conditions.

2. Meteorological drought is classified based on rainfall deficiency w.r.t. long term average – 25 percent or less is normal, 26-50 percent is moderate and more than 50 percent is severe.

3. Agriculture drought is best defined as deficiencies in surface and sub-surface water supplies leading to a lack of water for normal and specific needs.

Which of the following statements is/are true?
a) 1 and 2                             b) 2 and 3
c) 1 only                                d) 3 only
(source: jalshakti-dowr.gov.in)

PM’s messages on Independence Day

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Social empowerment, Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

Why in news?

—Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort as the country celebrated 75 years of Independence, said that India’s flag now flies high around the world.

Key takeaways

Here are the top quotes from his address to the nation:

—I congratulate all Indians and those who love India on this Independence Day. It is a day to step towards a new direction with a new resolve. India’s flag now flies high around the world.

—The citizens are thankful to Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Veer Savarkar among the many who gave their lives to attain Independence. This nation is thankful to Mangal Pandey, Tatya Tope, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ashfaqulla Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil and our innumerable revolutionaries who shook the foundation of the British Rule.

—When we speak of the freedom struggle, we can’t forget the tribal community. Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Sidhu-Kanhu, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Govind Guru — there are innumerable names who became the voice of the freedom struggle and inspired the tribal community to live and die for the country.

—India is the mother of democracy. India has seen a lot of ups and downs in the last 75 years. There have been sorrows as well as achievements in these years. We faced natural calamities, wars and other problems. But unity in diversity became our guiding power.

— In 2014, the citizens of the country gave me the responsibility to lead the country. I am the first person born after Independence who received the opportunity to address the nation from this Red Fort. The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign is an example of the entire nation coming together to celebrate the spirit of our glorious country.

—In the coming years, we have to focus on Panchpran (five promises) — First, to move forward with bigger resolves and a resolve of developed India; second, erase all traces of servitude; third, be proud of our legacy; fourth, focus on our strength of unity; and fifth, fulfil the duties of citizens with honesty, which should be done by the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers as well.

—After 75 years, we have heard the proud sound of a Made-in-India weapon during the Independence Day gun salute. I salute the armed forces for this feat. I also salute the children who are saying no to imported toys. When a 5-year-old says no videshi, Aatma Nirbhar Bharat runs through his veins.

—We always remember Lal Bahadur Shastri ji’s slogan of “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”. Later, A B Vajpayee added “Jai Vigyaan” to this slogan. Now, we need add “Jai Anusandhan” (research and innovation). Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyaan aur Jai Anusandhan.

—Corruption, nepotism two main challenges. Until and unless people have the mentality of penalizing the corrupt, the nation cannot progress at the optimum pace. Another evil we need to come together against is nepotism. We need to give opportunities to those who are talented and will work towards the progress of the nation.

—Our dreams are bound to be realised if we walk shoulder to shoulder… Programmes may differ, working styles may differ, but resolutions can’t differ, dreams for a nation cannot be different… There are many states of our country, which have played a great role in taking the country forward, have led and worked as examples in many fields. This gives strength to our federalism. But today the need of the hour is that we need cooperative federalism as well as cooperative competitive federalism. We need competition for development.

—It hurts me to say that we have witnessed a perversion in our day-to-day speech, behaviour. We have been casually using language and words that are insulting to women. Can we not pledge to get rid of everything in our behaviour, culture and everyday life that humiliates and demeans women? The pride of women will be a huge asset in fulfilling the dreams of the nation. I see this women’s power (“naari shakti”) and therefore I insist on it.

Point to ponder: What are the major challenges India needs to overcome in its Azaadi ka Amrit kaal?

2. MCQ:

Which of the following pairs are not correctly matched?

a) Shri Alluri Seetha Ram Raju- Rampa Rebellion

b) Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu- Santhal Rebellion

c) Birsa Munda-Ulgulan

d) Rani Gaidinliu-Chakma Rebellion

The ‘developed country’ goal

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Why in news?

—In his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Indians to embrace the “Panch Pran” — five vows — by 2047 when the country celebrates 100 years of independence. The first vow, he said, is for India to become a developed country in the next 25 years. It was a “big resolution”, the PM said.

Key takeaways

—Different global bodies and agencies classify countries differently. The ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects’ of the United Nations classifies countries into three broad categories: developed economies, economies in transition, and developing economies. The idea is “to reflect basic economic country conditions”, and the categories “are not strictly aligned with the regional classifications”. So, it isn’t as though all European countries are “developed”, and all Asian ones are “developing”.

—To categorise countries by economic conditions, the United Nations uses the World Bank’s categorisation, based on Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (in current US dollars).

—But the UN’s nomenclature of “developed” and “developing” is being used less and less, and is often contested. Former US President Donald Trump had criticised the categorisation of China as a “developing” country, which allowed it to enjoy some benefits in the World Trade Organization. If China is a “developing” country, then the US should also be “made” one, Trump had said.

—It can be argued that the UN classification is not very accurate and, as such, has limited analytical value. There are 31 developed countries according to the UN in all. All the rest — except 17 “economies in transition” — are designated as “developing” countries, even though in terms of proportion, China’s per capita income is closer to Norway’s than Somalia’s. China’s per capita income is 26 times that of Somalia’s while Norway’s is just about seven times that of China’s.

—Then there are countries — such as Ukraine, with a per capita GNI of $4,120 (a third of China’s) — that are designated as “economies in transition”.

—India is currently far behind both the so-called developed countries, as well as some developing countries. Often, the discourse is on the absolute level of GDP (gross domestic product). On that metric, India is one of the biggest economies of the world — even though the US and China remain far ahead.

—However, to be classified as a “developed” country, the average income of a country’s people matters more. And on per capita income, India is behind even Bangladesh. China’s per capita income is 5.5 times that of India, and the UK’s is almost 33 times.

—The disparities in per capita income often show up in the overall quality of life in different countries. A way to map this is to look at the scores of India and other countries on the Human Development Index (HDI), a composite index where the final value is reached by looking at three factors: the health and longevity of citizens, the quality of education they receive, and their standard of life.

—India has made a secular improvement on HDI metrics. For instance, the life expectancy at birth (one of the sub-metrics of HDI) in India has gone from around 40 years in 1947 to around 70 years now. India has also taken giant strides in education enrolment at all three levels — primary, secondary, and tertiary.

—When compared to the developed countries or China, India has a fair distance to cover. A 2018 diagnostic report on India by the World Bank said: “Even though India is the world’s third-largest economy in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, most Indians are still relatively poor compared to people in other middle income or rich countries. Ten per cent of Indians, at most, have consumption levels above the commonly used threshold of $10 (PPP) per day expenditures for the global middle class.”

—Also, “Other metrics, such as the food share of consumption, suggest that even rich households in India would have to see a substantial expansion of their total consumption to reach levels of poor households in rich countries.”

Point to ponder: How much can India achieve in development parameters by 2047?

3. MCQ:

Which of the following statements are not true?

a) HDI is calculated as the geometric mean (equally-weighted) of life expectancy, education, and GNI per capita.

b) The first Human Development Report was published in 1990 by the Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq and Indian Nobel laureate Amartya Sen.

c) Every year United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) releases the Human Development Report (HDR) using growth in GDP as a sole measure of development.

d) Global Multidimensional Poverty Index is released by UNDP.

The historical and cultural connections between India and Thailand

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance and History of India and Indian National Movement

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Why in news?

—As part of his visit to Thailand for the ninth India-Thailand joint commission meeting, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar Thursday visited the Devasthan in Bangkok. The Devasthan is the Royal Brahmin Office of the Thai Royal Court and is the official centre of Hinduism in Thailand.

—“Offered prayers this (Thursday) morning at the Devasthana of Bangkok. Received the blessings of Phra Maharajaguru Vidhi. Underlines our shared religious and cultural traditions,” he tweeted, as he emphasised the long history of cultural contacts between India and Thailand.

Key takeaways

The making of ‘Greater India’ in Southeast Asia

—India and the Southeast Asia region share a long history of cultural and commercial relations. The classical Sanskrit and Pali texts from India carry references of the region using various names such as Kathakosha, Suvarnabhumi (the land of god) or Suvarnadvipa (the golden island), indicating that this was a region that attracted Indian merchants. Trade in spices, aromatic wood and most importantly gold is known to have flourished.

—In more recent times, European and Indian scholars have referred to Southeast Asia as ‘Farther India’, ‘Greater India’, or ‘Hinduised or Indianised states’.

—The first person to do an in depth study of the process of ‘Indianisation’ in Southeast Asian countries was a French scholar named George Coedes. He coined the term ‘Farther India’ to refer to those states that experienced “the civilising activity of India’. Geographically, it refers to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and the Malay states.
—The Sanskrit, Buddhist, and Jain texts indicate that interactions between the two regions go back more than two thousand years ago, mainly through sea voyages and that trade played an important role.

—Historian Karmveer Singh, in a research paper titled, ‘Cultural dimensions of India-Thailand relations: A historical perspective’ (2022), notes that the traders brought along with them “Indian religion, culture, traditions and philosophy along with them to the shores of Southeast Asia”.

—“They were also accompanied by Brahmin priests, Buddhist monks, scholars and adventurers and all of them played an important role in the transmission of Indian culture to the natives of Southeast Asia. Some of the merchants and Brahmin priests married the local girls and were often employed by the local rulers,” writes Singh.

—Coedes, in his 1968 book “The Indianised states of Southeast Asia”, writes that from the beginning of the common era, these relations resulted in the formation of Indian kingdoms. He cautions, however, that Indian expansion into southeast Asia cannot be compared to European colonisation since Indians were not complete strangers to the population of Southeast Asia and had pre-existing trade relations.

—In the early 20th century, the nationalist historians of India frequently referred to the ancient Indian kingdoms in Southeast Asia as its ‘colony’. Historian RC Majumdar, for instance, noted that “the Hindu colonists brought with them the whole framework of their culture and civilisation and this was transplanted in its entirety among the people who had not emerged from their primitive barbarism”.

—More recently, however, the colonisation theory has been rejected on the ground that there is very little evidence of conquest or direct political influence in the ancient Southeast Asian kingdoms.

—The first Indian kingdom to come up in Southeast Asia was Funan, which is the predecessor of modern Cambodia and Lin-yi in southern Vietnam, both of which came up in the second century CE.

—Contemporary Southeast Asian society carries several pieces of evidence of the cultural impact of these interactions. Many local languages in the region, including Thai, Malay, and Javanese contain words of Sanskrit, Pali and Dravidian origin in significant proportions. The Thai language is written in script derived from Southern Indian Pallava alphabet.

—Perhaps the most important influence of India on Southeast Asia was in the field of religion and how Shivaism, Vaishnavism, Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism and later Sinhalese Buddhism came to be practised in the region. “The political and administrative institutions and ideas, especially the concept of divine authority and kingship, are largely shaped by the Indian practices. For example, the Thai king is considered as an incarnation of Vishnu,” writes Singh.

—The episodes of Ramayana and Mahabharata are regularly featured in puppet shows and theatre events. In terms of architecture, monuments like Borobodur Stupa in Java, the Angkor Vat temple in Cambodia, My Son temple in Vietnam are some of the best examples of Indian influence in the region.

Point to ponder: What are India’s religious links to South East Asia?

4. MCQ:

Which of the following statements is not true?

a) The classical Sanskrit and Pali texts from India carry references of the South East Asian region using various names such as Kathakosha, Suvarnabhumi or Suvarnadvipa.

b) The first Indian kingdom to come up in Southeast Asia was Funan.

c) The Thai language is written in a script derived from Northern Indian Sanskrit alphabet.

d) Borobodur Stupa in Java, the Angkor Vat temple in Cambodia, My Son temple in Vietnam are some of the best examples of Indian influence in the South East Asian region.

Answers to MCQs: 1 (a) , 2 (d) , 3 (c) , 4 (c)